today i want to tell you about some of the inspiring videos i’ve seen on youtube lately. all three very different – except for the fact that they really moved me. this is quite old. it’s TV satirist’s jon stewart’s first speech after 9/11. i dare you to watch it without tears in your eyes!… Continue reading making lives better: inspiration
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a post for pam
the other day i went to a party at my friend bonnie’s place. with me being there, of course at one point the talk turned to the internet. one of the lovely guests, pam, mentioned that everyone in her family comes up with something when they google their names – but not she! i said… Continue reading a post for pam
the story of the two hungry wolves
here is a wonderful native parable that i first came across in ted kuntz’s beautiful book, peace begins with me. a grandfather and grandson were walking through the forest one winter evening. from far away, they heard the wolves howl. “hungry wolves!” said the grandson. “yes, just like the ones inside us,” said the grandfather.… Continue reading the story of the two hungry wolves
anger
i just realized that i haven’t mentioned hugo schwyzer’s blog in ages! well, it’s about time to see what he has to say. hugo is one of my blogging heroes. his posts are always interesting, insightful, well-balanced, well-thought-out. and i love how he is not afraid to jump with both feet into the battle between… Continue reading anger
hair test for eating disorders: scientific triumph or an orwellian nightmare?
according to new research, a hair test can now show whether someone has anorexia or bulimia. another scientific triumph! supposedly, this is useful because “diagnosing eating disorders is often hampered because of patient resistance”. whenever i hear the phrase “patient resistance”, my, um, hair
recovering from anorexia: 10 activities
what do people do when they start on their recovery from anorexia? here is a list of ten things that those who deal with this eating disorder mention most frequently. these are activities that they themselves decide on. that’s important to keep in mind. if i were to say to one of my clients, “jo,… Continue reading recovering from anorexia: 10 activities
creative writing: waking up from our routines
“creative writing increases physician observation skills and connection to patients” this is the heading of a study at the yale school of medicine, which showed that creative writing had a positive impact on how doctors saw themselves, their patients and their peers. resident physicians often deal with quite a bit of negativity
children and poverty: talk about harm!
a comment to my blog entry on self harm says: “From a professional point of view, the only time intervention is required is when a behaviour becomes pathological ie socially unacceptable and detrimental to your health or someone else’s.” i am grateful to dawn for this comment because it brought up some important concepts. an… Continue reading children and poverty: talk about harm!
imagining the future
at yesterday’s fireside chat at sacred space, one of the topics that came up was the extent of our ability to imagine the future. it appears that we have many mental barriers to effectively doing that. one person mentioned that she can somehow sense a future many years hence, but finds it very difficult to… Continue reading imagining the future
smoking
(this is another guest blog by my husband glenn, providing a bit of insight into the mind of a smoker) My daughter’s class in school is going through a series of discussions/learning modules on the dangers of smoking, so she has been passing along some the things she’s learned to me, and has been asking… Continue reading smoking